The present invention relates to an automated method for managing objects provided with RFID tags. It also relates to a system implementing such a method.
The field of the invention is the field of the automated management of objects provided with RFID tags and more particularly the automated collection of payment, i.e. on the purchase/sale of objects provided with RFID tags.
Nowadays RFID tags are commonly used for the identification, tracking and the management of objects. Systems using RFID technology allow more reliable and faster automated management of objects in numerous fields.
The use of the RFID tags goes hand-in-hand with the need to have access to RFID tag reading devices and more particularly to solutions for the management and processing of RFID tags within the context of the sale of articles provided with RFID tags.
RFID tags currently exist for the identification of a product. These RFID tags are used for storing one or more items of data associated with the product on which these RFID tags are arranged.
Certain systems of payment use RFID tags for managing the collection of payment at a supermarket collection terminal or checkout for example and more particularly for making an automatic or semi-automatic payment. These systems comprise means for reading RFID tags, arranged on payment terminals or at the level of a checkout conveyor belt in order to identify each of the products that a customer wishes to purchase and means for consulting a database to determine the price of each of the products identified in order to inform the customer of the sum to be paid. In fully-automated payment systems, the customer is then directed to electronic payment means to settle the amount owed.
However, to limit theft, each of the products bearing an RFID tag also bears an anti-theft device intended to cooperate with detection means to signal the theft of a product when an individual attempts to steal it. This anti-theft device must be deactivated once the product has been legally purchased by a consumer.
Thus, at present the systems for managing products bearing RFID tags comprise on the one hand means for reading an RFID tag and means for detection and for deactivation of an anti-theft device, which makes these systems complex and expensive. Moreover, these systems require an RFID tag and an anti-theft device to be arranged on each product, which represents a not insignificant cost, both in terms of resources but also in terms of labour.
A purpose of the present invention is to remedy the abovementioned drawbacks.
Another purpose of the invention is to propose a less expensive method and system for the automated management of objects provided with RFID tags.
Finally, another purpose of the invention is to propose a less labour-intensive method and system for the management of objects provided with RFID tags.